healthykids
Label Literacy
Five Tips Help Kids Choose Healthy Foods
by Elisa Bosley
Families have three key weapons in combating America’s childhood obesity epidemic: keeping them active, reducing their soda and junk food intake and teaching youngsters how to read food labels.
A
ccording to the National Cen- ter for Health Statistics, obesity more than doubled in children ages 6 to 11 and tripled in adolescents ages 12 to 19 between 1980 and 2010. Nearly one in five youths in both age groups, plus one in eight preschool- ers, are now considered obese and at increased risk for consequent health problems. By 2013, the Centers for Disease Control finally showed signs of hope, with some states reporting small reversals in the trend. Positive developments might continue if parents and teachers gently coach kids to better evaluate what’s going into their mouths and bodies by understanding food labels. Despite the intimidation factor (even for adults), “Once children know how to read, they are ready to start learning how to read food labels,” advises Jolly Backer, CEO of Fresh Healthy Vending, a forward-thinking company actively in- creasing the presence of healthy-food vending machines in schools nation- wide. He says, “The more kids know about what they’re eating, the more empowered they’ll be about making healthier food choices.” Here are five basic tips to increase
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knowing what food labels really say that will benefit a youngster’s health for a lifetime. Visualize serving sizes. Assemble
two or three packaged food items— preferably those that the child regularly eats, like cereal, oatmeal and apple- sauce—plus a measuring cup. Point out the serving-size number on the package label, and let the child measure out a single serving. This visually reinforces serving sizes, the first number anyone needs to consider on a food label. Try it with a single soda or juice bottle, too, which often says, “two servings.” Important note: Most nutrition label serving sizes are based on a 2,000-calorie adult diet. For kids ages 4 to 8, portion sizes are about two-thirds of an adult portion; for preteens, por- tions run 80 to 90 percent of the adult amount, says Registered Dietitian Tara Dellolacono-Thies, food coach for CLIF Kid nutrient-rich organic energy snacks. Evaluate numbers. Next, discuss the numbers noted for calories, fat, sugar, fiber and cholesterol. When evaluating a packaged food for an elementary school child, Dellolacono- Thies suggests aiming for 175 calories or less per serving; one gram or less
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